When you're playing the main theme, the dance rhythm would come out more energetically if you did something about those left hand accents on beats 4 and 1. For a waltz-like feel you'd want a strong swooping downbeat, and 4 should feel like an upbeat even though obviously there's a 5 there too. (Maybe as if a creature with 2 extra legs were waltzing?) So less accent on beat 4 and more on beat 1.

I really like your variety of articulations -- everything from crisp to flowing, all well-chosen.

Heather - I agree with you about beats 4 and 1 (so does my family), and it's a little better without the microphone standing next to the piano. But I get pretty terrified about accuracy when I'm recording and it warps things. (I don't care about accuracy as much when I'm performing - but then who does?) Of course, a possible workaround would be to practice more, but ...

Monica - actually the lid being down is related a little to the emphasis problem. My wife and daughter both told me I needed to "lighten up". The piano needs voicing and if I want to make it a little less bright I keep the lid closed. (Seems to work better than muffling the mike.) This is the first time I've done it on a fast-tempo piece and probably won't do it again. When I'm doing slow melodic and/or legato, it does help.

I'm going to try the voicing myself (inspired partly by some comments you've made on other boards) but can't seem to free up enough time to give it a go.

Monica - actually the lid being down is related a little to the emphasis problem. My wife and daughter both told me I needed to "lighten up". The piano needs voicing and if I want to make it a little less bright I keep the lid closed. (Seems to work better than muffling the mike.) This is the first time I've done it on a fast-tempo piece and probably won't do it again. When I'm doing slow melodic and/or legato, it does help.

I'm going to try the voicing myself (inspired partly by some comments you've made on other boards) but can't seem to free up enough time to give it a go.

Ok, this up on the main site now.

I hope you are successful in doing the voicing. I would like to try it again, myself. I did it on just one hammer as a first experiment. It worked fine...I only pricked it a little bit, but it did make a change in the tone. The only thing is that it didn't last very long. Perhaps you have to prick it harder...or fluff up the felt more, or something...I dunno....I do know that I will soon have to deal with the issue again because we are taking the wall-to-wall carpeting out of the room and replacing with hard-wood. I suspect that my piano will sound brighter because of that. Please let me know if you do attempt to voice your own piano. I'm very interested....

btw - have you ever tried placing your recorder under your piano? It produces another sound...maybe yet another alternative to lessening the piano's brightness....?

_________________"Simplicity is the highest goal, achievable when you have overcome all difficulties." ~ Frederic Chopin

Well done Stu. You have a good technique and musicality and your recordings are well planned, prepared and executed. This perky little pseudo-waltz bounces along nicely. Amazing how Tchaikovsky could write convincing waltzes in any meter If I were to offer one point of criticism it is that your touch could be a bit more assertive. Dig deeper in the keys and don't be afraid to play louder (first thing I learned when taking up lessons again). This might get rid of the occasional dropped notes I noticed here as well as enable you to apply more dynamics, of which I heard too little here. Of course your family has to get to grips with you making more noise.

btw - have you ever tried placing your recorder under your piano? It produces another sound...maybe yet another alternative to lessening the piano's brightness....?

I will try it - partly to hide the microphone, since I'm so afraid of it!

techneut wrote:

Dig deeper in the keys and don't be afraid to play louder (first thing I learned when taking up lessons again). This might get rid of the occasional dropped notes I noticed here as well as enable you to apply more dynamics, of which I heard too little here.

A lot of this is fear of the mike, Chris. Your criticism of the end product is certainly valid, but my biggest problem is the gulf between the way I would play without the mike around and the way that I play with it. I was one of those lucky people who conquered stage fright, but when I see the green light on the microphone on I know I'm going to screw something up!

Had a listen to your latest edition to Tchaikovsky's Op. 72. I think you do a great job here, with phrasing, creating a Valse-feel. I haven't heard this before so I can't compare it to another edition. It is a lot different than the waltzs from his Swan Lake, but then again you can't really compare piano music to orchestral music, can you?! For criticism, I would have liked to hear more range in dynamics, though I realize in a piece like this it's challenging, and on some grands with the action it can be tricky as when you try to play softly you run the risk of the note not sounding. Again, nice job.

_________________"I don't know what music is, but I know it when I hear it." - Alan SchuylerRiley Tucker

It's very sprightly and bounces along nicely. The piano certainly sounds ok, despite the lid being down. If I had a criticism, it would have to be that dynamically it's a bit one-dimensional. You don't actually notice this unless you specifically look for it, because it is so full of life in other ways. Very enjoyable.

Very nicely played. You seem to master every single point of this piece which means that you have played it exhaustively before recording it. I am a fan of the artist who invests a lot of effort on a short piece.

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